


Fresh Start

by AchillesTheseus



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Comfort/Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hydra (Marvel), Marvel Universe, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 21,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26076202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AchillesTheseus/pseuds/AchillesTheseus
Summary: An injury to the head affects your memory, possibly giving you a fresh start.Reader is gender-neutralNatasha x reader
Relationships: Avengers Team & Reader, Bruce Banner & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, Natasha Romanov (Marvel) & Reader, Natasha Romanov (Marvel)/Reader, Steve Rogers & Reader, Thor (Marvel) & Reader, Wanda Maximoff & Reader
Comments: 63
Kudos: 316





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not connected to any of my other works. It was supposed to be a one-shot but a friend and I really like the concept and decided to make it its own thing. I have a bad habit of having multiple things to work on. I should have an update on Pyromania and get a request down on the one-shot fic soon.

You felt a sharp pain on the side of your head that forced you awake. When you opened your eyes the first thing you saw was the forest floor beneath you, covered in leaves. You felt disoriented and struggled to pick yourself up but did so anyway. You had a dull ringing in your ears and your body ached, but you staggered to your feet. 

As you looked around at your surroundings you realized you had no idea where you were, where you came from, and where to go. The only thing you seemed to remember was that you had to leave now. It was as if there was a voice in the back of your head telling you that you weren’t safe and that something bad would happen to you. You didn’t know what or why, but you didn’t want to find out. 

With as much strength that you could muster you limped your way through the forest. The uneven terrain made it difficult for your injuries. From what you could tell you had a sprained ankle, bruised ribs, and an injury to your right temple. The injury on your head hurt the most and was the one making you disoriented. 

As you continued to struggle you heard a loud sound coming behind you. It sounded mechanical and made you very uneasy as if you’ve heard it before. Panic started to rise in your chest making you move faster but whatever was the cause of that sound just kept getting closer and closer. 

No matter how fast you forced yourself to move your injuries slowed you down. Before you could process it, something knocked you back to the ground. You cried out due to your injuries and tried to get back up but the weight on your back didn’t budge. 

“Make this easier for both of us and just stay down,” a mechanical voice said above you. 

You turn your head and look at the red and gold figure standing over you. It had its right foot on your back and was most likely the thing you heard chasing after you. You didn’t know if it was a robot or just some flashy piece of armor, all you knew was that you didn’t trust it and it didn’t trust you. 

As you tried moving again it looked you directly in the eye and aimed a hand at you. Its hand started to glow a bright blue and you could hear it making a sound as if it were charging up. “It won’t kill you, but it’ll hurt like hell.” 

You stopped moving and glared, “You’re hurting my ribs.” 

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you tried to kill me and my friends,” it told you. Confused by what it was talking about you decided to shut up and just wait to see what happened next. 

You both stayed like that for a few minutes until you heard more people walk out from behind the trees. With your face pressed to the ground, you couldn’t see them but from the sound of their footsteps, it sounded like you were severely outnumbered. 

“Told you I would catch them,” red and gold said above you. 

“Surprised they went down so easily,” you heard a deep voice respond. 

The weight on your back came off but just as quickly you felt someone slap cold metal cuffs to your wrists. You were then roughly forced to stand on your feet. 

“Where are your friends,” a man in a red white and blue outfit asked you. You stared at him blankly making him glare at you. He pressed you harshly against a tree making you flinch. “Where are they?!” 

You continued to just stare at him until a red-headed woman in a black tactical suit spoke up. “Maybe they don’t speak English.” 

“Oh no, they do,” red and gold told her. 

“Let’s start over with an easier question,” the guy who had you pinned said. “What’s your name?” 

“I- I don’t know,” you told him honestly. Even if you did know, the voice in the back of your head was telling you to stop speaking. You didn’t think it mattered though; you can’t give anything up if you didn't know anything. 

That’s when you finally realized you couldn’t remember anything. You couldn’t remember your name, your age, where you were born. You can’t remember anything before you woke up half an hour ago, it was all blank. 

“That’s not funny,” the guy told you. 

“I’m not joking,” you shot back, “I don’t remember anything.” 

The man looked over at his companions who seemed just as confused as him. Nobody seemed sure how to continue until the redhead from earlier decided to approach you. 

She grabbed your chin and tilted your face to get a better look at your head injury. She stared for a few seconds before letting you go and turning to the others. “I think we should get them checked out by a doctor.” 

Multiple people started to protest but she simply grabbed your arm and led you away. She held onto you, helping you in keeping pressure off your ankle. Her friends followed closely behind murmuring to each other and glancing at you often. 

“Where are you taking me?” you whispered to her. 

“To a doctor. That injury looks serious,” she told you. 

You were led onto a plane where you were instructed to sit in a seat in the back. With your arms still cuffed behind you, someone else had to strap you in. After the plane took off and throughout most of the journey everyone stared at you. No matter how small the movement they would make sure you weren’t doing anything shady. 

After an hour, fatigue started to weigh you down. Your eyelids feel heavy and the dull pain in your head was making you tired. That voice in your head popped up again, telling you to stay awake, that you had to stay alert but thankfully it grew quiet as you finally closed your eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

“Can you tell me your name?” the woman with brown hair and a doctor’s coat asked. You were sitting on an observation table in some sort of med bay as she flashed a small flashlight in your eyes. Your hands were cuffed to the edge of the table as a precaution. 

“I don’t know it,” you tell her honestly. 

“Anything you can tell me?” 

You try to think of something before your encounter in the woods with those strange people, but that just makes your head hurt. “No.” 

In the sidelines stood some of the people you had met including a new face. The red and gold tin man had turned out to be a man with a black goatee called Tony. The man who was dressed as the American flag was referred to as Steve and the red-headed woman was called Natasha. A man with the bow and arrows who hadn’t spoken much was Clint. You hadn’t seen the other man wearing a lab coat and glasses before, but he went by Bruce. 

“What do you think, Dr. Cho?” Bruce asked her. 

Dr. Cho turned her attention to the group, “It seems they are suffering from amnesia.” 

“How serious?” 

“They don’t seem to remember anything besides the past couple of hours, so I would say it’s very serious. They know how to function properly, but any personal memories seem to be out of reach,” she explained. 

“Can they be recovered?” Steve asked, “Bucky is getting his back.” 

“Barnes’s memories were suppressed, in this case, their memories are affected due to the injury on their head. There’s no telling how they’ll come back, maybe in fragments or maybe not at all.” 

There’s a silence in the room as everyone processes the information. You’re the first one to speak. “So, I might not ever remember?” 

Dr. Cho looked at you sympathetically, “There’s a possibility. My recommendation is that you don’t push yourself. Forcing yourself to remember might cause some damage and might even make it worse. Take it slow and eventually something will come back to you.” 

“Thank you,” you tell her as she excuses herself from the room. You’re then left alone with the others. 

“You’re not faking, right?” Clint asks you, “Cause if you are this is a new low for Hydra.” 

“Hydra?” You ask confused, “What’s a Hydra?” 

The archer’s eyes widen as he steps closer, “You’re kidding?” 

“I don’t know what’s going on man. I just woke up and suddenly I’m being cuffed and told I am never going to remember anything. I’m just- I’m just trying to understand what’s happening.” 

Steve walks up to you and gets close to your face, clearly trying to intermediate you. “Hydra is an organization bent on controlling people. They are bad people who do terrible things. Earlier today you were fighting alongside these people wearing their symbol.” He gestures to your left shoulder where there is a red symbol of a skeleton with octopus tentacles sewn onto your clothes. 

“You lost me at the part where they’re bent on controlling people,” You told him. 

Growing frustrated Steve turned back to his friends. “Real or not we can’t let our guard down.” 

“What the hell are you people talking about?” you ask but everyone ignores you. 

“What do we do with them now then?” Natasha asks. 

“We have a spare room we can put them in,” Tony suggests, “We can have them stay there while we observe their behavior. It’s far from where we sleep but close enough to the med bay in case their condition worsens.” 

“I agree,” Bruce adds, “With a head injury like that they need to be on constant watch.” 

Steve glances at you and then nods. “Sounds like it's our only choice now. Dr. Cho said not to push them so we can’t question them. For now, the best we can do is wait and stay on guard.” 

After coming to an agreement Natasha uncuffs you from the table and leads to out of the med bay. You’re still limping because of your sprained ankle and your other injuries ached but the doc was able to patch you up. The stitches in your head still stung. 

“So, you’re just going to lock me up?” You ask as you both walk down the hall. 

“We can’t run the risk of letting you go, though I doubt you’ll even have anywhere to go,” Natasha responds. “You’re getting a good deal until your memories come back.” 

“If they do,” you mutter. 

“Do you even care if they do?” 

You scoff, “Of course I do. I want to know who I am or at least who I was. The problem is it doesn’t seem like I was a good person.” 

“Why do you say that?” 

“The way that guy back there was speaking to me didn’t make it sound like he liked me. He also said I was working with bad people. I doubt that means I enjoyed volunteering in animal shelters and helping the least fortunate.” 

“You never know, maybe you were forced. Perhaps even mind-controlled. Hydra has a way of manipulating and using people. Or if you were bad you got a chance at being good now,” Natasha said. 

“You sound like you speak from experience.” She merely shrugged in response. 

As you approached the room you would be staying at you noticed a tall man with long brown hair coming down the hall. He and Natasha greeted each in a friendly manner but the second he made eye contact with you his smile dropped. It looked as though he wanted to strangle you. You didn’t feel fear as he quickly advanced at you until you caught a look at his left arm. The voice in the back of your head started screaming ‘Danger! Danger!’ and that for some reason that murderous cold look in his eye was familiar. 

Before you or Natasha could even react, the man pinned you to the wall with his metallic arm around your throat. With your hands cuffed you couldn’t do anything as he started to squeeze your windpipe. 

“Barnes, let them go!” Natasha yelled at him. “Bucky!” 

Barnes ignored her and kept his focus on you. “You have a lot of nerve being here.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you manage to say. 

He simply tightens his grip cutting off your air. You desperately try to push him away with your cuffed hands, but it does nothing. Your vision starts to go hazy as you then proceed to blackout.


	3. Chapter 3

“Winter Soldier, that’s a stupid name,” you say as Dr. Cho hands you an ice pack for the bruises on your neck. After passing out Natasha had dragged you back to the med bay where you were quickly resuscitated. Once she knew you would live she left you under the care of Dr. Cho and Dr. Banner who filled you on what happened. 

“You’re positive you don’t remember him,” Bruce asked again. When he heard what Bucky had done to you, he was quite shocked. As far as he knew Bucky was a passive guy when he wasn’t mind-controlled by Hydra. Perhaps knowing your affiliation with the organization had triggered a hostile response in him. 

“I think I would remember a man with a metal arm who hates me,” you told him sarcastically. You admit to yourself that you did find Bucky familiar but not enough that you would know why he hates you. Maybe you owe him money. 

“Do you remember ever doing anything that’ll make someone want to kill you?” 

“Easy with the questions,” Dr. Cho reminded him. 

“Right, of course.” 

“Why are you even asking me? I obviously don’t know anything,” you said, frustrated with his questioning. 

“Don’t worry we’re asking Bucky too,” Bruce reassured, “hopefully he’ll even remember who you are.” 

“For now, try not to piss anyone else off. That head injury is still fresh,” Dr. Cho told you. 

You scoff, “I think it’s too late for that, it seems pissing people off was my pastime.” 

Once again Dr. Cho sent you on your way, this time you were accompanied by Bruce who hopefully has a better chance at getting you to your room in one piece. As you two quietly walked you couldn’t help but size him up. Unlike Romanov, Dr. Banner didn’t seem like a threat. He looked constantly nervous and uneasy in your presence. You figured if you really wanted to you could take him out right now, but you didn’t know why you would.  
“May I ask something?” you ask politely. Unlike the others, you figure kindness is the best chance at getting information out of the doctor. 

“Of course,” he answers. 

“Where exactly are we?” You realized a little while ago that you don’t really know where you are and who these people ‘caring’ for you are. You’ve followed what they have told you to do so far because you don’t have another choice. 

Not wanting to give too much information Bruce tried to keep his answers short. “We’re in the Avenger’s compound.” 

“What’s an Avenger?” The name sounded familiar, but it didn’t trigger a memory. 

“We are the Avengers. That’s what we call our team.” 

“What do you do?” 

“Our main goal is to help protect the world from threats.” 

“Like Hydra.” 

“Yes, like Hydra.” Bruce watched as you grew quiet as if processing what he had told you. 

“Does that mean we’re enemies?” you spoke up. 

Bruce hesitated, “I suppose it does.” 

“That’s a shame, you seem nice.” 

“Same to you.” 

Once you finally made it to your room Bruce gave you a brief tour. It looked too fancy to be a prison but the heavy lock on the door said otherwise.   
“If you need anything, I suggest you ask Friday. She’ll send someone to help you,” Bruce informed you as he turned to leave. 

“Wait, who’s Friday?” 

Suddenly a disembodied feminine voice with an accent spoke up. “I am Friday, I will try to assist you in whatever I can.” 

You looked up at the ceiling where the voice had come from, “You heard that too right?” 

“You’ll get used to her.” Bruce left, the lock on the door closing loudly behind him as if reminding you that you can’t leave. 

Now alone you realized there wasn’t much to do. You could watch TV or sleep, but you weren’t in the mood. You decided to snoop around and look in the closet and drawers. They were all filled with clothes, the problem was that it was all the same, black long-sleeved shirts and grey sweatpants. 

You examined the insignia that seemed to be on every shirt. It was just a capital A in a red circle, it probably stood for Avengers. You held it up next to the one that represented Hydra on your jacket. 

“Not as intimidating,” you comment. The Hydra insignia looked menacing compared to the simple A. 

Before you could put the clothes back in the drawer you noticed the dirt and blood on your current outfit. There were a few tears and scratches on the fabric of your jacket indicating you were in a struggle;e fight before you woke up with amnesia. You take this as an excuse to take a shower and change. 

As you remove your shirt you catch your reflection on the bathroom mirror and do a double-take. Scars of varying sizes are spread out on your body, some of them small others large. You have one on your right shoulder that looks like a bullet wound, another that went down like a line on your calf, a few on your abdomen that looked like knife wounds, and some that went around your wrist like they were the result of tight restraints. Surprisingly it wasn’t the scars that stood out the most, it was the tattoo on your upper left forearm. You had been wearing long sleeves the whole time that you hadn’t noticed it before. You wondered how long you’ve had it and if it meant anything to you.

It was frustrating not to be able to recognize your own body. It felt as though you were looking at a stranger. You were looking at their scars and their tattoos that represented their memories, their experiences. You felt dirty as if you were an imposter wearing someone else’s skin.

After your shower, you changed into the new clothes from earlier and sat on your bed with a towel over your shoulders. You were going to toss out your old clothes but as you grabbed the jacket you were wearing before, you felt something in the fabric. The Avengers had searched you before so you didn’t think you would find anything they hadn’t, but as you fiddled with it you noticed a hidden pocket on the inside. 

You reached in and took out a clearance card. It read clearance level seven in bold letters. You recognized your photo in the corner, you had a small smile on your face. You then noticed this card had more information on you than you remember. 

It supposedly had your first and last name, (Y/N) (L/N), though it didn’t seem to trigger any memory. It had your hair color, height, and date of birth in it. It had a section called title, which you assumed was your job title, that just read Field Agent. On the bottom of the card, there seemed to be some serial numbers, unlike your name these numbers felt familiar though you didn’t know why. 

You decided to hide the card back in your old jacket, then you hid that in the back of one the drawers. You should have turned the card into the Avengers, they could have found more information on you like a family member or anything about your past. But that thought left your mind as that little voice representing your subconscious told you to hide the card, that you had to keep it from them. 

After that, you just laid in your bed staring at the ceiling. You kept murmuring the name- your name repeatedly, hoping it would help everything come back to you. But no matter how many times you said it, it felt like you were calling out a stranger.


	4. Chapter 4

Channel surfing was a tedious task. You don’t remember having any favorite shows or channels so you were just mindlessly clicking your remote, hoping you would land on something interesting. You’ve been at it for hours and you hadn’t landed on anything until you found a channel showing a horror movie. It was in the middle of the part where the antagonist revealed themselves and the protagonist realized they were betrayed. 

As you watched you heard a knock at your door. You couldn’t open it from the inside, so you didn’t bother to get up. “Come in!” 

It unlocked and Natasha walked in. She noticed the movie playing on your TV and raised an eyebrow. “I see you’re making yourself at home.” 

“Might as well,” you respond, not taking your eyes off the screen. 

“You're watching Scream, I didn’t think you were into slasher films.” 

“I wouldn’t know, this is the first one I’ve watched.” 

“How are you liking it so far?” 

You watched as the protagonist ran away from the killers on screen, “It’s not bad.” 

She was trying to start a conversation, but you weren’t in the mood. You thought if you showed no interest, she might take the hint and stop, but she kept going. 

“I see you’ve changed clothes, hope you don’t mind wearing the same thing for a while,” she said gesturing to your outfit. 

Ignoring her earlier comment, you looked at her with a blank expression and said, “I don’t think you came here just to check on me from the kindness of your heart.” 

Natasha couldn’t help but smirk, usually she was able to charm other to speak but that wasn't going to work with you. “You caught me. I just came to get you; everyone wants to talk.” 

“Aren't I popular,” you say, getting up and walking up to her, “Lead the way.” 

She cuffed you again and then led you through the many halls of the compound. Neither of you spoke until you arrived in a room with a long table and multiple chairs. Most of the chairs were taken by the Avengers you had already met, and others were taken by individuals you hadn’t. 

Natasha made you sit in the middle of the table so that everyone could get a good look at you. It made you feel uneasy how many of them were sizing you up, while others were looking at you like an animal displayed in the zoo. The one person that stood out was Bucky who looked like he was ready to jump over the table and strangle you all over again. 

“Honestly, man what did I do to you?” you say, making him glare at you.

“You know what you did,” he sneered. 

“That’s the thing with amnesia, I don’t.” 

“Lucky for you Bucky does,” Steve told you. 

“Oh, that’s great, do you know my name?” You did, but you didn’t want to give it up yet. 

“No,” Bucky answers, “they would only refer to you as Death.” 

You unconsciously rubbed your left forearm where you had discovered a tattoo last night. It was in the shape of a skull and you had a feeling it had something to do with the nickname Bucky said. Death, what did you do to get a name like that? 

“Why Death,” you ask, sounding less confident than before. 

Although he still looked as though he wanted to murder you, you could see his nonmetal hand tremble subtly. He was as nervous as you were in this moment, maybe even more. “When Hydra needed information from someone, they sent you to torture it out of them. The name was supposed to be ironic because you never killed your victims, you left them wishing you had. I saw your handy work up close a few times. You were ruthless.” 

You didn’t know what to say. You simply sat there staring at the table as if it would give you answers. Everyone was staring expectantly, waiting for a reaction. They thought you would react violently or burst into tears, but you didn’t do any of that. You just sat there. 

“So, you don’t remember any of that?” Clint asked. “I think that’s bullshit.” 

There were various murmurs of agreement. Again you didn’t respond as you rubbed your temples, trying to fight back a headache. None of what you were being told was triggering any memories. Hydra, torture, Death, none of it rang a bell. 

“We’re a bit unsure of the amnesia thing too,” Stark told his teammate, “that’s why we brought her.” 

He gestured to a woman sitting on his right. She had long brown hair and was staring at you intensely. Her eyes flashed red briefly making you uneasy. 

“Can you see their memories, Wanda?” Steve asked her. 

Wanda stood from her seat and walked around the room until she was behind you. “I’ve never tried to recover memories before, but I will be able to tell if they’re lying about remembering.” 

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Bruce spoke up. “If they truly are an amnesiac, you run the risk of doing some severe damage to their mind.” 

“I say she should do it,” Bucky says, clearly not caring about your wellbeing. 

“Let’s take a vote,” Natasha suggests. “Raise your hand if you think Wanda should go through their memories.” 

“Or you could just ask me,” you mutter. You’re ignored as many raise their hands in favor of Wanda. 

Immediately Wanda tries to put her hands on your temples, making you flinch away from her touch. Many people in the room tense, thinking you were going to hurt her, but you simply leaned away from her. 

“I’m not going to mess with your mind,” Wanda reassured, sensing your anxiety, “I am just going to try and help you unlock your memories from before your injury.” 

You hesitate but eventually allow her to touch you. You didn’t exactly know what she was doing until your vision started to go fuzzy. You could see blurry figures pass by in a red haze, but you couldn’t focus on anything solid. You could also hear voices but again nothing stood out and they all sounded muffled. 

It was until the screaming started that you felt something, specify pain. The louder the screaming the more it felt as if your skull was being torn apart. It started as one voice then it became hundreds screaming as though they were being tortured. 

Suddenly the screaming stopped, and your sight came back to you. Wanda quickly let you go and backed away looking at you with concern. Without missing a beat, you ran over to a nearby wastebasket and started vomiting into it. Bruce crouched down next to you, making sure you didn’t hurt yourself further. You didn’t pay him much attention as you continued to puke your guts out while your head felt like someone had kicked it in repeatedly. 

“What happened?” Clint said running to Wanda’s side as if she were the one hurt. “Did you see anything?” 

Wanda shook her head, not taking her eyes off you. “It’s blank.” 

“What do you mean blank?” Stark asked. 

“They have no memories from before you found them. There are fragments, but nothing I can piece together. They were telling the truth.” 

“Well, I guess Death can’t do much damage if they-” 

“That’s not my name,” you interrupt as you wipe your mouth with a napkin Bruce gave you. 

“That’s what you went by,” Bucky reminded you. He seemed the most pleased with your current state. 

“That’s not my name,” you insisted. 

Bruce helped you to your feet, “What is it then?” 

“My name is (Y/N).”


	5. Chapter 5

“When did you remember your name?” Steve asks, eyeing you suspiciously. 

“Just now,” you lied. Before anyone could ask anything further you turned back to the wastebasket from before and continued to vomit until you couldn’t. 

Tony, who was cringing at hearing you puke, turned to Bruce. “You should get them out of here.” 

“So, we’re just going to let them stay in a cozy room?” Bucky asked bitterly. 

“We need more information before we decide to send them away,” Steve told his friend. A few people murmured in agreement, though they also can’t risk letting their guard down around you. 

After coming to an agreement Bruce led you back to your room. He then left you alone, promising to bring back something to help with your nausea. You sat down at the edge of the bathtub so that you would be close to the toilet in case you needed to throw up again. 

Whatever Wanda had done really messed you up. The headache was dying down, but you still felt nauseous and your ears buzzed from the screams you had heard. Overall, you were in a daze and not fully aware of what had happened. 

As you sat there trying to calm yourself down you heard your bedroom door open. Assuming it was Bruce, you shouted, “I still feel like puking, but my stomach is empty.” 

Instead, you see Barnes standing at the bathroom door. He glares, but you’re still too out of it to put up a proper fight. 

“What you said back there, was it true?” you ask him. 

He looks a bit surprised at the question. “Yeah, it’s all true.” 

“Did I- Did I ever hurt you?” 

His expression softens as he avoids your gaze. “No… but you made me watch.” 

“I’m sorry,” you say, surprising him again. “I know it doesn’t mean much because I don’t remember what I’m sorry for, but I am sorry if I caused you or anyone else pain. I don’t remember why I did any of it, so to me, it seems pointless. I hope… I’ll be able to make it up to you someday.” 

Bucky stares at you, trying to sense if you are lying but so far, your words seem honest. He’s reminded of when he was regaining his memories. All the faces of the people he mindlessly killed came back to him and tormented him for months. He felt as though he could never make up for all the blood he spilled although he hadn’t done it willingly. You weren’t exactly in the same situation, but it was similar. 

“The last time we met you left a very bad impression, let’s hope you take advantage of your second chance,” was all Bucky said before walking out of the room. 

He nearly ran into Bruce who was barely coming back with a plate of crackers and a glass of water. “What was that about?” 

“I don’t know anymore,” you admit while massaging your temples, “I’m the last person you should be asking.”


	6. Chapter 6

Two weeks had passed since you last spoke to the Avengers. The only other person you have had contact with is a medic who comes to check on your health and a guard who oversees. Your injuries had healed well, leaving you only with a scar on your temple. 

Being confined to your room with truly little to entertain yourself with was starting to drive you crazy. You would spend hours surfing through channels. Then you tried sleeping your boredom away. When those two things no longer worked, you started to exercise as a last resort. You started with some basic stretches as your muscles were still tender. You didn’t think of taking it any further until a familiar redhead walked into your room abruptly. 

“Come with me,” she said quickly before stepping back outside. You processed what happened for a few seconds before rushing to put on some shoes and following after her. 

“Where are we going?” you ask as you follow her through the halls. You fidget nervously with your hands as you were used to having them cuffed around others. 

“We’re going to the gym to spar,” Natasha replied nonchalantly. 

Surprised, you looked at her, “I don’t know how to fight, at least I don’t think I do.” 

“Before you got knocked in the head, you were able to put up a fight against both me and Steve. If Tony hadn’t had us covered, you might have gone away. So, trust me, I know you can fight.” A small smile played on her lips. 

“And if I forgot?” 

“Something will come to you.” 

At the gym, there were already various Avengers working out. When you walked in, they all stopped to stare as Natasha led you to a corner where she helped wrap your hands in boxing tape. You both then hopped into the sparring ring. 

While Natasha tied her hair up, you awkwardly stood by. “Are you sure about this, the medics-” 

“They’ve cleared you already. As long as you don’t hurt your head any further, you should be fine.” 

“Do you mind taking it slow-” You abruptly ducked as Natasha threw a fist at your face. “That’s not taking it slow!” 

She grinned as she threw a few more blows, forcing you to take the defensive. “If you don’t want to get hurt, you should try fighting back.” 

As you continued to dodge, you were unconsciously analyzing Natasha’s movements. Her stance, her form, and her technique, you were taking it all in. It felt as though your arms and legs had a mind of their own. 

“If you want to get anywhere with this, you’re going to have to make a move,” she grunted as she tried to jab you in the abdomen. 

You blocked and put some distance between the two of you. “Maybe you’re just not giving me enough to work with.” 

“Careful what you wish for,” she shoots back. 

You continue going back and forth until a crowd of Natasha’s friends decides to watch. Some are shouting words of encouragement to her, while others are heckling you to fight back. Annoyed, you decide to throw in a few hits of your own. 

Finally, getting a good look at your technique, Natasha noticed something that caused her to become distracted. With an opening, you were able to strike her leg, making her fall to the mat. Completely caught off guard, the other Avengers watched shocked as you helped the Black Widow back to her feet. 

“That victory didn’t feel satisfactory,” you told her. 

Natasha hadn’t noticed it before, but now she did. When you fought back, your style had changed, and the resemblance to Natasha’s techniques was frighteningly similar. It looked as though you were able to copy her fighting style just from watching her. She figured you must have done the same thing when you first met and fought. You had been using a lot of the same moves as Steve, but now she sees you had just copied his style then. 

Natasha gestured for Clint to get in the ring with Steve. “I think we need to test something out.” 

She made you sit by the ring and instructed you to watch closely as the two Avengers sparred. Instead of just looking at the blows they would throw at each other, you would look at their stance and posture. Natasha didn’t know if you were doing it consciously or not, but she figured out that you were analyzing their fighting styles as you had done to her. 

When the match had finished, Natasha then told you to get in with the winner who was Steve. Again, you stood around awkwardly as the super-soldier cracked his knuckles. 

“What am I gaining out of this?” you ask Natasha nervously. 

“Just try not to let him kill you,” she told you with a smile. She then turned to Cap, “Give them all you got.” 

Following Natasha’s instructions, Steve charged you in a more hostile manner than he had with Clint earlier. Again, you were simply dodging his attacks, but Natasha’s shouts from outside the ring seemed to make you shift your tactic. 

“Come on (Y/N) is running and dodging all you're capable of!” 

That’s when Steve saw the change too. It nearly caught him off guard like Natasha. When you had sparred with her, he noticed you used similar acrobatic techniques, but right now your style was like his. You were using moves that were a mix of boxing and judo along with other material arts like he had. It was almost off-putting how you were able to match him blow for blow. 

“Change it to Clint’s,” Natasha instructed you. She sounded like a trainer advising her fighter in a boxing match. 

As if your body automatically knew what she meant, you shifted into the style you had seen Clint fighting in. It had similar qualities to Natasha’s but overall, just had a different feel. If Steve didn’t know any better, he would say he was fighting with the archer again. 

“Mine,” Natasha told you, and suddenly you were again fighting with an acrobatic style. 

Although he knew a shift was coming, the way you were able to incorporate it caught Steve off guard, allowing you to bring him down. Again, everyone was left speechless as they watched both you and the super-soldier pant from your sparring session. 

“How were you able to do that?” Steve asked, impressed. “How were you able to copy us just by looking at us?” 

“I have no idea what you mean,” you reply trying to catch your breath. “Is it hot in here? It feels hot.” 

You sit down on the mat as you wipe the sweat off your forehead. You’re wearing your long sleeve shirt and sweatpants, which aren’t comfortable to exercise in. 

“They have adoptive muscle memory,” Natasha said as she climbed into the ring and tossed the two of you some water bottles. 

“Again, I have no idea what you mean,” you told her. 

“You’re able to copy someone’s fighting style by just looking at them. Quite a few people have that ability,” she explained. Natasha has specifically met one person who had that ability and given her a lot of trouble with it. Luckily, he was gone, and as far as she knew, you had nothing to do with him. 

“So, a fancy word for a fast learner,” Clint quipped. 

Steve leaned against the ropes of the ring and whispered to Natasha, “You’re planning something, aren’t you?” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” his friend replied. 

“I know that look in your eye, you're planning something. What are you going to do with them?” 

Natasha looks over to you and smiles. "I think I just found my new sparring partner.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Is teaching them to fight something we should be doing,” Bucky asked Natasha as they both walked into the kitchen. 

“Technically, I’m not teaching them anything,” Natasha corrected. “They’re picking it up by themselves.” 

Bucky rolled his eyes and helped her take out some ingredients for the meal she was going to prepare. “You’re giving them too much information by allowing them to observe our fighting techniques.” 

“I will admit it does make them more dangerous, but they can’t do much about it without their memories.” 

“And when their memories come back, and they try to kill us?” 

Natasha took out a knife from a drawer and held it up for emphasis. “We’ll take care of it.” 

“You have done a lot of risky things, but nothing like this,” Bucky said, shaking his head. “Why take your chances with them?” 

“I like to challenge myself,” she replied honestly. “Their skills make them a challenge.” 

“Just don’t get attached,” Bucky murmured. 

Natasha couldn’t help but laugh, “Attached? You know me better than that, Barnes.” 

“I do, that’s why I’m telling you.” 

It grew quiet as they continued to prepare their meal, but Bucky sensed that his friend was holding something back. He sighed as he took out some plates, “Just let it out.” 

“You told us you had met them before and had seen them torture others. How bad were they in Hydra?” Natasha asked. 

“I watched them cut a man’s toe-off, and then they forced him to eat it,” Bucky replied casually. 

His response made Natasha hesitate as she diced the vegetables. “You’re kidding.” 

“From what I heard, that’s not even the worst thing they’ve done. I don’t think Hydra gives you the nickname Death for using typical torture methods.” 

Natasha thought back to yesterday when you were standing in the middle of the ring anxiously. It was hard to picture that same person as a vicious psychopath. Then again, she knew better than to underestimate someone, that was proven when you were able to catch her off guard during your match. 

“Good thing you wear steel-toed shoes then, it means you don’t have to worry about them stealing your toes,” Natasha joked. 

Bucky groaned but couldn’t help but smile. “That makes me feel so much better.” 

Again, they shifted into a comfortable silence as they continued to cook. Most of the team was gone for the day or had other plans for lunch. It was just going to be the two of them, but Bucky noticed something off. 

“Why are you preparing a third plate?” he asked. 

“I asked Death to have lunch with us,” Natasha told him casually. 

Bucky looked at her, surprised, “Are you serious? You’re inviting the enemy to eat with us now.” 

“The enemy,” Natasha repeated with a laugh. “You know that’s how others would refer to you when Steve first brought you by. Plus I consider them more like a glorified prisoner.” 

“You’re unbelievable, Romanov.” 

“I know.” 

Having convinced Barnes, Natasha brought you to the kitchen where they had set up a place for you at the table. To make Bucky feel better, Natasha gave you plastic utensils, and you sat a chair away from her seat. 

The food was good, but it would have been better if Bucky wasn’t staring at you from across the table the whole time. At one point, you just couldn’t stand it anymore and stared back at the ex-assassin. “Do you get off on watching people eat or is there something on my face?” 

Bucky glared at you while Natasha tried to hold in her laughter. “Excuse me for being on edge while sitting three feet across from a murderer.” 

“I thought you said I never murdered anyone?” 

“That I know of.” 

“Fair enough.” 

“Nice to see you two are finally getting along,” Natasha quipped. 

“It would be helpful if I got an apology,” you murmured. 

“An apology?” Bucky asked, offended, “For what?” 

“You did slam me against a wall and choked me out.” 

Next to you, Natasha gave him a pointed look. Barnes huffed, “You’re not taking advantage of your second chance.” 

“Hey, I apologized for something I can’t remember, and I’ve been compliant with all your rules. I at least deserve a sorry for the bruises.” 

Bucky took a deep breath and then turned to look at Natasha. She simply shrugged and pretended to go back to her meal. He then turned to you, who was failing at disguising your smug expression. “I’m sorry for choking you out.” 

Your smug smile turned to a more sincere one. “Thank you.” 

“Glad you two are best friends now,” Natasha cut in sarcastically, “can we finish our meal now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to focus on more Pyromania chapters now, but I'll be back to this fic soon.


	8. Chapter 8

You stared at the row of blue cards displayed on the table in front of you. On the other side of each card, different shapes matched with another. Your job is to find each pair, but if you picked the wrong card, you must turn it over again. 

“What’s the point of this?” you ask before starting. 

“I just want to make sure your short-term memory wasn’t affected by your injuries,” Bruce explained. After hearing how well behaved you were, he decided to take a chance and work with you alone at the dining table. He still made sure to have Friday ready to call for help just as a precaution, though the Hulk was always a backup. 

You flip one of the cards and see a circle. You flip over another and there’s a triangle. You turn them over again and flip the third one. This time it is a circle, so you go back to your first card to match them. You continue this process until eventually, all the cards are matched. 

“That wasn’t so hard,” you smile at the doctor. 

Bruce writes his observations on a clipboard and nods. “It seems just your long-term memory was affected. The mind is a tricky thing, just take it slow.” 

You resisted the urge to groan. ‘Take it slow,’ that is what everyone keeps telling you. Taking it slow wasn’t getting you anywhere, and it was becoming frustrating. 

“Can I ask a favor?” 

Bruce looks at you curiously and nods. 

“Would it be possible to go outside? Just so I can get some fresh air. I’ll even wear the cuffs.” 

Noticing the slightly desperate tone in your voice, Bruce couldn’t help but feel pity. When he had been on the run from the government years ago, he would have to hole up somewhere for days to stay low. There were times where he craved to feel the sun hit his skin or just take in some fresh air. “I’ll see what I can do.” 

You were taken back to your room, but instead of just lying in your bed or doing your stretches you decided to do some investigating. You went through your drawer and took out your old jacket where you found your ID card. 

Knowing you had no real privacy, as anyone could open the door and walk in, you decide to lock yourself in the bathroom. Now alone, you sit on the lid of the toilet and stare at the card in your hand. You’ve seen all the information before, but none of it triggered anything for you. Even your name never really felt like your own. You were hoping that eventually, all this info would start to make sense. 

You jumped when you heard the bedroom door open, you hadn’t even heard the doorknob turn. Quickly you tucked the card in the sink drawer and then washed your hands so that it appeared as if you were in the bathroom for a reason. When you were done, you stepped out and saw Natasha sitting at the edge of your bed. 

You had grown accustomed to the redhead’s presence. After your first sparring session, she would regularly come to ask you to join her in the gym. Your abilities made you a more interesting partner and a challenge for the Black Widow’s skills. She often beats you, but she has to work for it. Most of the other Avengers weren’t very keen on you being allowed out of your room so often, but they were confident in their teammate’s ability to take care of herself. 

“I thought we weren’t sparring today,” you tell her. 

“I’m not here for that,” Natasha replied. “Bruce told me what you asked him. I’m going to help fulfill your request.” 

You couldn’t help but smile. “I can go outside?” 

“Yes,” Natasha holds up some cuffs and looked at you apologetically, “but the team wants to be cautious.” 

“That’s not so bad,” you say optimistically. Natasha lifts another set of cuffs, making you frown. “Never mind.” 

You sat on the bed and allowed her to put the cuffs on around your ankles first. Then she moved up and started on your wrists. As she tightened the one on your left hand, she noticed the scars wrapping around your wrist. She thought they were from self-harm, but the way they went around changed her mind. You’ve been restrained in the past and from the looks of it, it wasn’t for a pleasant reason. 

You felt her rub them lightly with her thumb, making you look at her curiously. “What’s wrong?” 

Natasha shook her head and let you go. “Nothing. Let’s go.” 

She led you out of the room and towards the exit of the compound. With your ankles cuffed together, you were shuffling instead of walking. It took you a while but when you made it out you couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Fresh air and warm sunshine hit your skin causing goosebumps. 

Natasha moved you further away from the buildings until you were both in the wooded area nearby. You sat on an overturned log with your eyes closed and just took in the sounds of nature. Birds, squirrels, and the wind rustling the leaves. It was all very calming. 

“There’s a creek nearby,” you comment. 

Natasha, who was leaning against a tree, looked at you strangely. “Yeah, it’s not far from here.” 

“What?” you ask, noticing her expression. 

“You look like you're in your element.” 

“Maybe I did some camping in the past. Who knows?” you muse. 

“Come. I’ll show you around the creek.” 

Shuffling around was harder to do on the uneven terrain but you managed to get to the creek in one piece. Listening to the sound of the water cascade gently was very soothing. You wish you could stay here instead of going back to the humming of the fluorescent lights. 

“Thank you,” you tell the redhead. “I think I was going crazy stuck in that room.” 

Natasha smiled, “It’s good to get away from everything once in a while.” 

After a while, you both decided to stop for the day and head back to the compound. On your way there the chain connecting your ankles got snagged on something, causing you to fall face first.

Natasha hadn’t even noticed until she heard a thud behind her. When she turned, she quickly rushed to your side and helped you back up. “Did you hurt yourself?” 

“I don’t-” you winced as you felt a stinging pain coming from your knee. “I may have scraped my knee. It’s not so bad.” 

“Let’s get it cleaned up.” 

She helped you awkwardly limp to your room. Once there you sat on the edge of your bed while she searched through your sink cabinets for the first aid kit. 

“Did you find it?” you shout, noticing she’s taking a while. 

Instead of a first aid kit, Natasha comes out of the bathroom holding up an ID card in between her fingers. You look at her serious face and then at the card in her hand, and suddenly dread and guilt creeps up on you. 

“What’s this?”


	9. Chapter 9

“Would you believe me if I told you I’ve never seen that before?” you ask. 

Natasha’s glare didn’t falter as she held out the ID card, “How long have you had this?” 

“A while…” You could see the disappointment in her eyes, making you feel guilty. “I can explain.” 

“Don’t want to hear it.” She walked past you and towards your door. 

Before she could grab the door handle, you shuffled to her side and grabbed her arm. Out of reflex, she swiped your feet and pinned you to the ground. With your wrists and feet still restrained, you couldn’t do anything as your back hit the ground. 

“You’ve been lying to us,” Natasha said. Her right hand was hovering close to your throat, making your breath hitch. 

“I didn’t lie,” you defend, “just withheld some information.” 

She scoffed, “Is that the excuse you’re going to use.” 

“I didn’t lie about not remembering anything, and I didn’t lie about not having anywhere else to go. That card was hiding in my old jacket. I kept it because it’s the only thing with some sort of answers about my past.” 

“We could use it to find out about your past. Why did you hide it?” 

“... I don’t know,” you admitted. 

Natasha shook her head, “I thought you said you weren’t lying.” 

As she was going to stand up, you desperately grabbed the sleeve of her shirt. “Wait, just let me explain, please.” 

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, she let you continue. 

“I didn’t trust any of you. When you brought me here, a voice in my head kept screaming that I was in danger, that I was not where I was supposed to be. I decided to listen to it and hide the card. I didn’t mean to betray your trust. You especially, have treated me better than anyone here.” 

“Maybe that was my mistake,” Natasha murmured. You let go of her sleeve and allow her to stand up. You expect her to head straight out the door, but instead, she helps you to her feet. She then finally undoes your restraints. “I’m going to give this card to Tony, see if he can find anything on it.” 

“... if they ask where you found it-” 

“I’ll say it was in your jacket,” she interrupted. You didn’t know why she was covering for you; she could have easily told her teammates. 

Natasha finally walked out the door, leaving you alone. She walked through the compound until she arrived at the lab, where Tony was showing some data to Steve. 

“I see your back from your nice walk with Death,” Tony commented. 

“They don’t like to be called that,” Natasha reminded him. 

“Right, of course. So, what brings you here?” 

“Did they cause any trouble?” Steve asked her. 

“No, they were fine.” She pulled out your ID card from her pocket. “We found this, though.” 

Steve took it from her and examined it on both sides before handing it to Tony. The billionaire did the same and then placed it on a worktable where Friday scanned it. 

“Where did you find this?” 

“It was hiding in their old Hydra jacket.” Natasha technically was not lying. Like you said she was withholding information, she wasn’t new to the concept. 

“It’s a simple ID card,” Tony explained, “like the one the staff use to get around the compound. The info on it is useful.” 

Steve stared at the screen. On the left, it was your picture from the ID, and on the right, a hundred different pictures were popping up. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m having Friday scan photos fitting their physical description and the age on the card. From missing people to social media, if they have taken a photo before, it’ll pop up here.” 

“Can’t you just search up their name?” 

“Who’s to say they were using their real name outside Hydra?” Natasha told him. 

Steve glanced at the Hydra symbol on the card. “How long is this going to take?” 

Tony shrugged. “Hours, days. I can’t tell-” 

A loud ding cut him off, signaling that the computer found a match. “Or minutes.” 

Tony expanded the screen so that they could all see it. “Looks like we found something.” 

It was a news article about the hunting season starting in a particular area. The photo attached to it was of a group of hunters gathered around the back of a truck. The caption had the name of everyone in the image. 

Tony zoomed in to the bottom right corner where a person was kneeling on the ground with a rifle. They had a smile on their face and seemed at ease with everyone around them. 

“That’s them,” Natasha said, recognizing your face from the crowd. The photo is a few years old, explaining why you looked a little younger. “They used their real name too. That looks sloppy for a Hydra agent.” 

“Let’s hope they were an ethical hunter,” Tony jokes as he looks for the source of the article. “If we can pinpoint a specific area, it’ll shorten our search.” 

“Can you narrow it down to a specific address?” Steve asked him. Stark shook his head.

“Besides this, they don’t exist. I can’t find criminal records, DMV records, a birth certificate, or social security number. You consider that sloppy Romanoff?” Tony turned to the redhead, who was staring at the screens in front of them. 

“How long will it take for you to at least narrow down a location?” she asked. 

Tony cracked his knuckles and went back to work. “That’s the easy part.” 

As he typed on his keyboard, Natasha looked at the old photo of you. Appearance-wise you didn’t look so different. What stood out was your attitude. You looked confident in yourself as you held your rifle, and at ease surrounded by what she assumes were your friends. In the time she’s known you, you’ve always seemed awkward or nervous. A part of her was curious about knowing how you used to be before losing your memories. 

“Found it,” Tony announced, snapping her out of her thoughts. 

“Well?” Steve asked. 

“The newspaper is from a small town called Ostden. Nice spot for finishing and hunting.” 

“So besides that article, there’s no other trace of (L/N) there?” 

“I would have found it,” Tony defended. 

“What’s our next move?” Natasha asked. 

“We bring this information to the rest of the team,” Steve said. “Then we give it to (L/N) and see if it triggers anything.” 

“If it doesn’t?” 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”


	10. Chapter 10

You stared at the photo in your hand. It was a black and white image of a group of hunters in the back of a pickup truck. According to Rodgers, who had handed you the photo, you are the one kneeling in the bottom right corner. 

He was hoping you would recognize yourself in the photo, but in all honesty, you didn’t. Nothing about this felt familiar. 

“So, I liked to hunt?” You asked. You tossed the image onto the table as everyone looked disappointed. 

“What about these.” Steve placed a folder in front of you. 

You opened it and went through the photos inside. Most of them were of different buildings and stores. They all had the same aesthetic, making you believe they were in the same place. “I don’t know what to tell you. I do not-” 

You paused as you looked at the last picture. It was a sign reading, ‘Welcome to Ostden.’ The Avengers noticed your response and waited to see what else you did. 

“Ostden,” you muttered to yourself. You repeated the name in your head, trying to understand why you knew it. 

“You recognize the name?” Natasha asked. 

You unconsciously rubbed the scar on your temple. “I do… What is this place?” 

Tony grabbed the black and white photo and held it up to you. “This is the only thing in the world that proves you exist. It was taken in the town of Ostden. We assume you either live there or just visited. It’s the biggest clue to your past we’ve got.” 

“I’ve seen the welcome sign before,” you admit, “but everything else is… fuzzy.” 

“Maybe we can have Wanda go through their head,” Sam suggested. 

Bruce immediately shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. As long as their memories are gone, their mind is vulnerable.” 

Steve stroked his chin as he considered what to do next. “I guess we’re going to have to go on a field trip.” 

Bucky raised an eyebrow, “You want to let them out.” 

“Out?” you ask. “What do you-” 

“We can’t all go,” Stark interrupted. “Perhaps just three people to look out for them.” 

Steve nodded in agreement. “Anyone want to volunteer?” 

“I think Natasha should go,” Clint suggested. That earned him a look from his friend, but Clint just grinned. “They listen to her.” 

“Then you’re coming with me,” Natasha said. 

Sam quickly cut in. “Clint has an assignment with me soon.” 

“I would like to go if you don’t mind.” You all turned to look at Vision, who was smiling calmly. “It would be an opportunity to observe human interaction in a different environment.” 

You noticed Natasha turn to Wanda. The redhead looked at her friend pleadingly until she sighed in defeat. 

“I can go with them,” Wanda announced. “I can provide back up to Nat and make sure Vision behaves.” 

“Suckers,” Tony laughs as he quickly walks out of the room. Various other Avengers chuckle at your group as they walk out after him. 

“Why do I feel offended?” you ask. 

“Stark just has that effect on everyone when he talks,” Natasha reassures. 

It looks as though she’s fine, but you know she’s been acting different since you two last spoke. You can analyze her mood the same way you do to an opponent when you fight. She has been distant and has not spoken to you directly until the meeting started. 

“Are we really going to this town?” you ask her. 

“Yes, we’re hoping it might help you remember.” 

“If it does, it might become easier to start remembering things on your own,” Vision added. 

Wanda let red magic dance in the palm of her hand and smiled at you. “Of course, you could always let me try again.” 

“No offense,” you told her, “but I would prefer to never do that again.” 

“Fair enough.” she then looked at Natasha. “When do you want to go?” 

“We leave early tomorrow. Make sure you all pack for at least a night’s stay,” she answered. 

After that was over, you went back to your room where you fell back in your bed. They had let you keep a few of the photos, including the one of you with the rifle. You stared at that one for a while, only focusing on yourself. But when you scanned the other faces in the group, you recognized another. 

A woman sitting in the center of the group on top of the truck. She was smiling along with everyone and unlike you, she only had a hunting knife strapped to her belt. The photo was black and white so you couldn’t tell the color of her hair, it looked dark and was tied up in a short ponytail. 

As you tried to remember her, you felt your head start to ache. That’s when you heard the voice. 

“(Y/N)!” It sounded like someone calling out your name, but it didn’t have an urgent tone to it. It sounded playful as if whoever was saying was laughing with you. 

“(Y/N)!” When you heard it again, you jumped to your feet and looked around frantically. It didn’t belong to Friday, yet it felt as though whoever had said it was in the room with you. 

Though the voice caused your head to continue to pound, you realized this was the first time you recognized your name. For once, when someone said it, you genuinely responded to it. Frustrated and in pain, you shut your eyes and covered your ears with your hands to stop the voice. 

“(Y/N)!” You heard it again though this time it sounded different. You opened your eyes and instead of the empty room, you saw Natasha crouched down next to you. 

She looked at you with concern as she gently grabbed your hands. “What happened? Do you want me to call Bruce?” 

You didn’t respond, you simply put your arms around her, and pulled her into an embrace. It took her by surprise, but when she felt you nuzzle your face into her shoulder, she simply hugged you back.


	11. Chapter 11

“Why couldn’t we take the jet?” Wanda complained. “We could have got there faster.” 

“We want to get into town and look around subtly. A jet draws too much attention,” Natasha reminded her. 

Nat was driving while Wanda sat in the passenger seat. You and Vision were sitting in the back playing rock paper scissors. You forgot who suggested it, but you are determined to beat the android one more time. 

“You tend to use rock,” Vision commented. “Perhaps this is why you haven’t won the last ten games.” 

You heard Wanda laugh in front of you, making you frown. “Are you analyzing how I play rock paper scissors?” 

“You do it when we spar,” Natasha reminded you. “It’s a taste of your own medicine.” 

Yesterday you had experienced a panic attack after a memory had triggered a painful headache. Natasha had wanted to take you to see a medic, but you refused. When you started to feel better you confessed to her that you had recognized one of the women in the photo. Since then she’s been keeping a close eye on you. 

“Are we here already?” you ask as you look out the window. The car drove past a sign that read, ‘Welcome to Ostden.” You had seen a picture of it at the compound. 

“Yeah, we’re here,” Natasha answered. 

As she drove into town, you noticed the facades of the buildings. You tried to remember ever going into one, but like always, nothing came to mind. 

“We’ll stop by the diner to get something to eat,” Natasha said. “Afterwards we’ll check into the motel. If we have any time, we’ll do some exploring.” 

Once Natasha parked in front of an old-looking diner you all piled out and headed inside. Natasha and Wanda were wearing baseball caps to help hide their faces. Vision had changed his appearance to look human; it creeped you out at first as you had grown accustomed to the android’s real form. You weren’t wearing anything to hide with. Natasha told you it was good if you got recognized, it would lead to new clues. 

Inside the diner, you all sat in a booth in the back. You sat next to the window with Natasha on your right. Wanda sat across from you with Vision. The four of you didn’t purposely do anything to draw attention to yourself, yet you noticed a few other customers glance in your direction.

While you stared at the menu, a waitress walked up to your table to take your orders. She looked unimpressed by your companions, but when she looked at you, she smiled. “(Y/N)?!” 

Confused, you looked up at her. “Yeah?” 

“You’re usually not here this time of year, what’s the occasion?” 

You honestly did not know who she was or what she was talking about. You glanced at Natasha for help, but the redhead simply gave you a look. Panicking, you struggled to form a sentence until you felt a sharp pain on your shin. You jumped a little and glared at Wanda who stared at you innocently. 

“I wanted to show my friends around,” you lied. 

Unaware of the exchange you had with the people at your table, the waitress simply grinned. “Well, that’s great. Do you want the usual?” 

“Uh, yeah, I’ll take the usual.” 

Once she had taken everyone’s order, she left. You turned back to Wanda as you rubbed your shin under the table. “Hitting doesn’t help.” 

“It did,” she shot back. 

“It looks like you were a regular here,” Natasha cut in. “People know you, that's good. Play along and don’t let them know you have amnesia.” 

You raised an eyebrow, “Wouldn’t they tell us more if they knew I couldn’t remember anything?” 

“Or they could use it as an opportunity to lie.” 

“Touche.” 

When your food arrived, the waitress placed a large burger with fries in front of you. Wanda laughed as she ate her sandwich and Natasha looked amused. 

“That’s your regular?” she asked you. 

“I guess it is,” you say eating a fry. 

“It’s a miracle you're not dead from eating that a lot,” Wanda jokes. 

Natasha stole a fry from your plate. “Perhaps you have a high metabolism like Steve and Bucky. Your skills use a lot of physical activity, maybe you had to regain energy.” 

Wanda stole some too. “Or just had a big appetite.” 

You pulled your plate closer to you. “Would you two stop that? You have your food.” 

“It tastes better off your plate,” Natasha said, grabbing some more. 

Wanda and Vision did most of the talking after that. You just ate quietly while occasionally swatting Natasha’s hands away from your food. When you were done, the waitress came back to your table to drop off the bill and chat with you. 

“I expect you’re going up to your cabin after,” she said casually. 

“Cabin?” Wanda asked. 

“It’s where (Y/N) stays during the hunting season.” The waitress turned to you, “Speaking of which, Elena came up here looking for you.” 

You froze as you heard that name. Elena, you knew her. 

“When was that?” you asked. 

“About a week ago. You had that girl worried about you.” 

You simply nodded and then glanced at Natasha. “I’ve been busy and lost my phone. I’ll give her a call as soon as I can.” 

You paid your tab and then bid the waitress farewell. Even a few of the other patrons patted you on the back or waved. You returned the gesture although you didn’t know any of them. 

Once in the car, Vision started to look for known cabins around the area. This is a hunting community so there was a fair amount scattered around town. 

“Who’s Elena?” Natasha asked as she drove. You noticed she was a little tense.

You reached into your back pocket and took out the black and white photo of the hunting group. You passed it to Wanda after pointing to the woman in the center. “I believe that’s her.” 

Wanda read the caption and looked for the woman’s name. “Elena Santos. Is she like your friend… or more?” 

You rolled your eyes as you heard her teasing tone. “Right now, she’s just a stranger.” 

“There’s always the possibility she’s Hydra,” Natasha cut in. “That’s why we all got to keep our guard up, including you. Friend or not, Hydra is not fond of traitors.” 

“Traitor? How am I- Oh, cause I’m helping you? Yeah, that would make me a traitor,” you reasoned. 

“I believe I found something,” Vision announced. “There is a cabin whose previous owner was declared deceased some time ago. It was passed down to a relative, but no name is listed.” 

“That’s odd, but not odd enough to attract too much attention,” Natasha said. “How far is it from town?” 

“Thirty minutes away.” 

“We better go now if we want to get there by nightfall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but I was feeling very productive in this story. I might have one more chapter out before going back to Pyromania.


	12. Chapter 12

You looked up at the cabin in front of you. It was in good shape for being empty most of the year. Clearly whoever lived here, cared for it. 

“Nice place,” you commented. 

“How do we know this is the right one?” Wanda asked. 

Natasha took out a lockpicking tool, “Only one way to find out.” 

She walked up to the door and crouched down in front of the doorknob. Before she could start anything, you grabbed her shoulder and pointed at a potted plant nearby. You tilted it and grabbed a spare key that was taped to the bottom. 

“You remembered hiding it there?” 

“No, I just feel like everyone hides a spare.” You unlocked the door, and everyone stepped in. 

The walls were covered in hunting trophies. Deer heads, stuffed birds, and furs. You tried not to stare at any of them in the eye, but it was hard to do. When you walked further into the living room you felt something brush against your foot. You looked down and nearly jumped out of your skin, you had bumped into the head of a real bearskin rug. 

Natasha noticed and laughed as she gently moved you away. “Don’t worry it doesn’t bite.” 

“I’m really hoping this place doesn’t belong to me,” you told her. 

“I may have some bad news then,” Wanda cut in. She grabbed two photo frames and handed them to you. 

One of them had the same picture of the hunting group that was in your back pocket. The difference is that this one was in color. The other frame had a photo of you holding up a large fish while wearing a cheesy fishing hat. 

“Dammit,” you murmur. You look back at the decor on your walls and frown. This place unnerved you. 

“Let’s take a look around,” Natasha instructed. 

You all searched the place top to bottom, yet you didn’t find anything strange. You didn’t find much at all. The only trace of you in this place were some pictures of you with a kill, but that was it. 

“This feels… odd,” you comment as you look around the living room. 

“Do you remember anything?” Natasha asked. 

“No, that’s the thing. This place doesn’t feel personal. It’s as if it were a facade just for show.” 

“Agents don’t tend to leave personal information lying around. Especially somewhere they spend so little time in.” 

“I believe I found something,” Vision cuts in. He was standing next to a stuffed moose head on the wall. “There is something off here.” 

You stand next to him as he removes the head, revealing a safe hidden behind it. You nod, impressed. “Nice catch.” 

“A keypad,” Wanda observes. “I think Vision or I could force it open.” 

“You might damage what’s inside,” Nat reasons. “We need something more subtle.” 

You stared at the keypad for a while until a sequence of numbers popped into your head. Quickly you typed them in making the safe click open. Nat gave you a look, but you just shrugged. 

“I remembered the numbers on my ID card,” you explained. 

You opened the safe and were confused. Inside there was nothing more than a beat-up old red toolbox. Vision took it out and placed it on the coffee table. 

“Tools?” Wanda asked. 

“Why hide it?” 

“Special tools?” 

Natasha opened the box revealing tools as Wanda said. There was a hammer, some nails, pliers, and some wire. On the bottom, there was a leather bag that stood out. Nat placed it on the table and rolled it out. Inside there were various polished knives tucked into their holsters. They were all in good shape and looked well cared for. 

Nat pulled out one of the smaller ones and examined it. The wooden hilt was handmade with intricate designs and the blade was custom. “What did you use these for?” 

“How do you know their mine,” you defend. “I don’t see my name-” 

She cut you off by showing you the bottom of the hilt engraved with your initials. Nat then passed it to you so you could hold it. You were hesitant but grabbed ahold of the hilt. The weight in your hand felt familiar and comfortable as if it was made specifically for you. 

You remembered the stories Barnes had told you. He described your past activities and how you earned the nickname Death. You realized now why these tools had been hidden away. 

Placing the knife carefully back in its spot, you took a step back from the table. “I don’t think I used those for cooking.” 

Natasha noticed your hands shake before you stuffed them in your pocket. She quickly put the knife roll and the other tools back in their box. “It’s starting to get late; we should go check in to the motel.” 

“I believe it’s starting to get dark. I think it would be best to rest here,” Vision countered. 

Wanda glanced at the hunting trophies and got a chill down her spine. “I’m not sleeping down here. I call dibs on the guest room.” 

“I do not require sleep, I’ll stay here,” Vision offered. 

“Good, we’ll take the master bedroom,” Natasha said. 

Your eyes widened. “We’re wh-what?” 

“Come on.” She grabbed your wrist and pulled you upstairs before you could protest.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. Sorry for being inactive, suffering from some writer's block.

“I thought you were resting?” You nearly tripped down the stairs when you heard Vision speak. He was sitting on the couch in the dark with only the tv screen illuminating his face.

You responded once you got over the scare he gave you. “I was having trouble sleeping and decided to get some air.”

“Is Romanoff awake?”

You glanced up the stairs where Natasha was in the master bedroom. “To be honest, I don’t know.”

Vision nodded, “She tends to keep her guard up even when she’s supposed to be sleeping.”

“She didn’t tell me anything when I woke up, but I doubt she didn’t sense me leave.”

“What seems to be preventing you from sleeping?”

You unconsciously rubbed your left forearm, “I don’t know, I have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this place doesn’t feel right.”

Vision stared as if studying you and then turned back to the TV screen. “If you are going outside, I suggest being careful. I believe I heard some raccoons out there.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Without a sweater, the cold breeze gave you goosebumps when you stepped outside onto the porch. The outdoor lights were off, so you only had the moonlight to help you see. The woods looked a lot more menacing in the dark, but you didn’t feel intimidated. You felt better outside than you did earlier. The fresh air and calm atmosphere were relaxing, something you haven’t felt since Natasha took you to the creek near the compound.

As you leaned against the porch railing, you heard something rustling in the bushes nearby. You didn’t panic, remembering what Vision had told you about the raccoons. You tried to ignore it until you heard the sound again. You looked over at its direction, and instead of a small animal, you saw a dark human-shaped silhouette. It’s small in stature and standing about ten feet away from you.

Using your common sense, you backed up towards the door. That is when the figure walked towards you. You were about to shout out for help as it got closer, but when it stopped in front of the porch steps, you froze.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, (Y/N),” Elena Santos told you.


	14. Chapter 14

“Amnesia? You seriously have amnesia?” Elena asked as she paced. 

You were sitting on a rock away from the cabin so you wouldn’t be overheard. “Yup.” 

When the woman in front of you had appeared, anyone with common sense would have alerted the Avengers. But you are an amnesiac desperate for answers, so you followed her into the woods and decided to explain your situation to her. It is a wonder you’re still alive. 

“This explains why you’re hanging around those caped weirdos. You hate them,” she said. 

“Why?” 

She scoffed, “Don’t get me started.” 

As you continued to pace, you took in her appearance, hoping it would trigger something. She had black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. She was wearing a Hydra uniform, similar to what you were wearing when the Avengers found you. Elena was an inch or two shorter, and the way she walked screamed confidence. Something told you, she wasn’t a woman to be messed with. 

Sadly, nothing brought anything back. Unlike when you first saw her image in the photo, seeing her in person did nothing. 

“Have they done anything to you?” Elena asked you. Her expression turned to concern as she scanned you for injuries. 

“To be honest, they’ve treated me pretty well. I am a prisoner technically, but it’s been… okay.” 

She looked at you in disbelief. “Okay?” 

You unconsciously rubbed your neck. “There was a choking incident, but besides that, they’re the ones who helped me get here.” 

“Of course, they did, they’re using you for information (Y/N),” she reasoned. 

“But I don’t remember anything-” 

“But when you do, they’ll try and get it out of you. You can’t trust these people.” 

You frowned as you thought about what you had been told about Hydra and your past. “What exactly did I do in Hydra?” 

Elena smiled, “You had a talent in making people talk.” 

You didn’t understand how she could say it so positively. The things you supposedly did were horrendous and cruel. “They called me Death… I hurt people. Hydra-” 

“Is making the world a better place. The only difference between them and the Avengers is that we’re willing to get our hands dirty.” She crouched down to your level and looked you in the eye. “You can’t fall for their lies and propaganda, (Y/N). Everyone on that team has blood on their hands, they just won’t admit it.” 

You looked away and sighed. “So, what now?” 

Biting her lip, Elena thought of what to do next. “I can’t bring you with me, it’s too risky with your current state.” 

You looked at her shocked. “So, this was a waste of time?! A dead-end?!” 

She quickly shushed you. “I can’t just bring you back like this, they’ll think you’re a liability. I have to get some things ready and talk to some people. When I’m done, I’ll come to get you.” 

“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” 

“Pretend this never happened. Do whatever the Avengers tell you, just don’t believe them.” 

That plan didn’t sit right with you. You weren’t too keen on lying to them, especially a particular redhead. “How do I know you’ll come back?” 

She moved her right hand to your cheek and smiled. “I spent all this time looking for you, I’m not letting you go that easily. We have too much history.” 

Elena got up, but before she moved away you grabbed her wrist. “Wait. You have to tell me something about myself. A place or person that might trigger some memories. Please.” 

Hearing the desperate tone in your voice, Elena sighed. “I know a place you can go.” 

She took out a pen and wrote down an address on your hand. “It’s your apartment. You spent most of your time out on the road, but it was the closest place you could call home.” 

You both heard a noise coming from the cabin, it sounded like someone was coming outside. Elena tensed and moved away from you. “I better go. Remember what I said.” 

Without another word she ran into the woods and disappeared into the dark. You sat there by yourself for a moment, just taking in everything that just happened. 

The only person that could tell you about your past just left after telling you not to trust anyone. The only lead she gave you was an address, nothing more. 

“(Y/N)?” you recognized Natasha’s voice instantly. She startled you as you hadn’t heard her walking. 

“Nat, what are you doing here?” 

“I think I can ask you the same thing.” She had her gun out, but when she saw you were alone, she put it away. She was wearing some sweatpants and a tank top that was too cold to be wearing outside. “Vision said you stepped out for air. When I didn’t see you on the porch, I followed your steps here.” 

You couldn’t help but grin, momentarily forgetting about everything else. “Were you worried about me?” 

It is dark, but you could still see her roll her eyes. “Don’t start with that. You didn’t answer my question.” 

“I, uh… I remembered something,” you lied. It didn’t feel right doing it to her, but Elena’s words kept echoing in your head. You can’t trust these people. 

Natasha smiled, “What was it?” 

“An address.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it just popped out of nowhere. I’ll write it for you inside.” 

You stood up and unconsciously put an arm around her as if to shield her from the cold. Natasha didn’t mention it or pull away, she just let you lead her back to the cabin.


	15. Chapter 15

The trip from the cabin to the compound felt a lot shorter, especially with so much going on in your head. You didn’t even realize you arrived until Natasha tapped your shoulder, startling you. 

“Sorry, I zoned out,” you told her as you reached for your seatbelt. 

She grabbed your hand, stopping you, and then turned to Wanda and Vision in the backseat. “You guys go ahead.” 

Tired from the trip, they didn’t argue and stepped out of the car, leaving you two alone. Natasha didn’t let go of your hand, and you didn’t bother to pull away from her. “You’ve been acting weird since we left, what’s wrong?” 

You avoided her gaze and stared out the window. “I’ve just been thinking…” 

“About?” 

“...everything, I suppose.” 

“How about we go get some fresh air away from the compound?” she offered. 

“Did a cabin in the middle of the woods, not have enough fresh air for you?” 

She rolled her eyes and started up the car again. “Let’s just get away from everything for now. What do you say?” 

You smiled and leaned back in your seat. “Sure, what do you have in mind?” 

Nat drove you into the city and then to a nearby shopping center. Not what you had in mind when you thought of fresh air, but you didn’t bring it up. There were a lot more people around than you were used to, so you stuck close to Nat. Families, couples, and friends were walking around and hanging out. You felt a little out of place. 

“A little crowded, don’t you think?” you ask as you avoid a group of people. 

“Does it make you uncomfortable?” She asked. 

“No, it’s fine. Just not used to it, that’s all.” 

She slipped her hand into yours and entwined your fingers. “So you don’t get lost.” 

It helped put you at ease as you followed her into a nearby clothing shop. At first, you assumed she was shopping for herself, but then you noticed the clothes she was looking at were more your size. 

“Was this an elaborate plan just to get me to go shopping with you?” You asked as she picked out a couple of shirts. 

“I admit I did have some ulterior motives.” She held up a shirt in front of you as if imagining how you would look in it. “You look good in black.” 

She put a pile of clothes in your arms and then led you to a nearby changing room. “Pick what you like, and don’t worry about money.” 

“You’re too generous,” you said sarcastically. 

Nat waited on a bench outside, while you took your time trying out the clothes she had picked out. She had managed to guess your size accurately, but you were having trouble picking out what you liked. You don’t remember what your taste in fashion was before, or if you even had one. You had grown accustomed to wearing the same attire every day, it was difficult to pick something out for yourself. It was slightly frustrating, like a child that could barely dress themselves. 

“Having trouble there?” Nat asked through the door. 

“Well…” you opened the door so that she could see for herself. “What about this?” 

“Not bad,” she said, adjusting your color. “A bit simple, though.” 

“I’m trying here.” 

Natasha heard the hint of frustration in your voice and decided to help you out. “Try these pants with this shirt.” 

She waited a few minutes while you changed and then opened the door again. You spread your hands and let her get a good look at you. “Is this better?” 

“It’s- what’s that?” Natasha was distracted by your tattoo on your left arm. That’s when you realized that since you met her, you’ve been wearing long sleeves that covered it up. You hadn’t been trying to hide it from her; it just never came up. 

“Oh, this.” You looked down at the image of the skull permanently inked into your skin. “I guess it’s been there a while. I don’t remember much about it. Maybe it has to do with the whole ‘Death’ thing.” 

Natasha looked at the tattoo curiously, she felt as if she'd seen it before, but just couldn’t place where. “I didn’t think of you as someone with tattoos.” 

“I guess I’m just full of surprises,” you tell her as you walk back into the changing room. 

“You sure are,” she mutters. 

As you went back into the changing room, Natasha heard a thud come from inside. “You okay?” 

Your voice was muffled. “I think I’m stuck.” 

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, open the door. Let me help you.” 

She laughed harder when she saw your head stuck in a T-shirt. “Hold still.” 

With the shirt finally off you, your upper body was left exposed. You didn’t realize until you noticed Natasha look down. 

“Eyes up here, Romanoff,” you joked as you grabbed your original shirt. 

You didn’t miss the blush on her cheeks as she quickly turned away from you. “Sorry- I’ll wait outside.” 

Once you were changed, you paid for your purchase and then walked around the shopping center for a while. You assumed you would be heading back to the compound after that, but Natasha made a stop in front of a small ice cream stand. She ordered herself a cone and offered to buy you something too. You refused and continued on your walk. 

“You sure you don’t want to share?” she asked. 

“I don’t even remember if I like ice cream,” you admitted. 

“You should give it a try then.” 

You rolled your eyes as you took the cone. She was insistent, and you just couldn’t say no to her. “Fine, fine.” 

You gave it a lick and shrugged. “Not bad.” 

“So, do you remember if you like ice cream?” 

“Well, if I didn’t like it before, I like it now.” You gave the cone another lick making Natasha grin. 

“I said you could give it a try, not have it.” She reached for her cone, but you kept it out of her reach with a cheeky grin. 

“How are you going to take it from me?” you teased. 

Natasha leaned towards you and pecked you on your cheek, catching you off guard, and giving her enough time to grab her desert from you. For a second, you were frozen in your spot as you processed what just happened. When you finally did, you stared at the redhead, “That was playing dirty.” 

Natasha gave you a wink as she licked her ice cream. “That’s the best way to play.” 

Before you could respond, she got a notification on her phone that distracted her. “Tony found the address you remembered. It’s just an hour from here.” 

“You’re kidding?” 

“No. We could head there now if you-” 

“Yes!” You cleared your throat. “I mean, yeah, I would like that.” 

“Let’s go then.”


	16. Chapter 16

“What do you think?” Natasha asked as you looked up at the apartment building in front of you. 

“A lot classier than I thought,” you said. 

The building was in a part of town that screamed money, meaning you must have been paid well while working for Hydra. The doorman may have not seemed like a big security precaution, but his concealed weapon told you he was a bigger threat than you might think. 

“If you can afford a place like this, then maybe you should be the one to buy me dinner later,” Natasha joked. 

“I’ll keep you to that.” You glanced at the doorman, who hadn’t noticed you two yet. “How do we get in?” 

Natasha put on a baseball hat and whispered in your ear as she clung to your arm. “Pretend you belong here and everyone else will believe it too.” 

When you two made it to the entrance, the doorman recognized you and immediately tensed. At one point, you thought he would salute you. “Agent (L/N), good to see you again. You’ve been gone for quite a while.” 

You stayed calm and answered the best you could, without sounding out of place. “Work has been keeping me busy, you know how it is.” 

“Got that right.” He glanced at Natasha and smiled. “I see you’re making up for that.” 

You coughed awkwardly as you felt Natasha squeeze your arm. “Yeah…” 

“Have fun,” he said as he opened the door for you two. Before you made it past, he leaned down and whispered a quick phrase. “Hail Hydra.” 

Instinctively you whispered it back to him and quickly led Natasha through the lobby, into the elevator. When the doors closed, you two let each other go. 

“This whole place is Hydra,” Natasha said as she leaned against a wall. 

“This is bad right?” you asked. 

Natasha scoffed, “Yes, this is bad, especially for me. I’m an Avenger without backup in a building full of Hydra agents.” 

“I’m your backup,” you offered. 

“I can live with that.” She looked up at the numbers displayed over the elevator doors. “What floor did you choose?” 

“Oh, I didn’t even notice I just pressed one unconsciously.” You looked at the one button that was lit. “Floor 13.” 

“That’s an unlucky number.” 

When the elevator came to a stop you looked around the hall. The address Elena had given you didn’t include an apartment number. Either she forgot about it or thought you would remember. 

“Any of these doors look familiar?” Natasha asked you. 

“Not really-” 

“(Y/N)! You should have told me you were back in town?” An elderly woman said as she opened her apartment door. 

You avoided referring to her by name as you don’t remember it. “Sorry about that, it was last minute.” Natasha arched her eyebrow, but you just shrugged. 

“No worries, Hun. I could have just used the heads up to gather all of Milo’s things.” 

“Milo-” Before you could ask, a tuxedo cat ran out of the apartment and rubbed himself against your legs, purring loudly. You crouched to his level and pet him. “Hey, Milo.” 

“Oh, (Y/N),” the woman said, looking at Nat. “You haven’t introduced me to your friend.” 

“Right, uh, this is my friend,” you quickly came up with a random name, “...Sam.” 

After some quick introductions between the two of them, your neighbor allowed you to take your cat with promises to drop off his stuff in a bit. She also gave you a key card to your apartment that you gave her for emergencies. 

“I can’t believe you’re a cat person,” Nat said as she held the door open for you. “I thought with all the hunting trophies in your cabin you didn’t’ like animals.” 

You scratched behind Milo’s ears, making him purr. “Who couldn’t fall for this guy?” 

You put him down and watched as he perched himself on a spot on the couch. He was comfortable around you but would eye Natasha, clearly wary of her presence. 

“I’ll admit this place is nicer than your cabin,” Nat said as she looked around. You had to agree with her, this apartment was 180 to your cabin. No hunting trophies or pictures, just a whole bunch of books, journals, and knickknacks. 

One of the walls was made up entirely of bookshelves filled with different titles. Most of them were medical and anatomical books, but there was plenty of famous English literature, including other famous works in their original languages. 

The knickknacks and cheap souvenirs were scattered all around the place. Some in-between books, others on side tables, and a few on the counters. Natasha picked up one that was a miniature statue of liberty and held it out to you. “What’s with the souvenirs?” 

“I don’t know,” you said. “Maybe I just thought they were neat.” 

“Each one is a monument from a city, state, or country. Perhaps they represent places you’ve been to.” 

“That’s the point of souvenirs, isn’t it?” 

While she went over to the kitchen to check out the cupboards you grabbed some of the journals on the coffee table. You skimmed through a few of them, recognizing your handwriting. It was all mostly written in shorthand but from what you understood it was mostly dates and locations, nothing really useful. 

“Your kitchen is empty,” Natasha said as she sat next to you on your couch. 

“I doubt I did much home cooking,” you said tossing the journals to the side. 

You kicked your feet up on the coffee table, and Milo took that as an invitation to curl up to your side. You smiled softly as you pet him. “We were friends, right buddy?” 

Milo meowed and you took that as a yes. 

Natasha smiled, “Looks like you two are best of friends.” 

“What am I going to do with him now?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I doubt you guys will let me take him, much less stay here with him.” 

“I don’t know,” Natasha hummed as she let Milo sniff her hand so he could get familiar with her. “Maybe I can get the others to make an exception for this little guy. I can even have them bring over some of your books.” 

“What about this building?” 

“What about it?” 

“If it’s all Hydra what are you guys going to do with it?” 

“There will most likely be a raid. Everyone and everything to do with Hydra will be taken in.” 

“Even the old lady across the hall,” you asked, surprised. You find it hard to believe the old lady who took care of your cat was part of a diabolical organization. 

“We won’t know until after we raid the place,” Natasha said, sounding sympathetic. 

You leaned back as you thought about what Elena said. Nat noticed the conflict on your face and slipped her hand into yours, entwining your fingers. 

“If they have nothing to do with Hydra, nothing is going to happen to them,” she reassured. 

You let go of her and stood up, much to Milo’s annoyance. “Let’s go check the bedroom.” 

“Is this your not so subtle way of getting me into bed with you?” she teased. 

You laughed, “You wish.” 

Your bedroom wasn’t as different from the rest of the apartment. It was neat but dusty from lack of use. Nothing stood out until Natasha opened your closet doors. 

“Found something,” she told you. 

Your walk-in closet was big enough for the both of you. Clothes were hanging on each side, and the shoes were in neat rows at the bottom. But what caught your attention was the safe taking up the whole back wall. It was reinforced steel, making it clear you didn’t want anyone seeing what was on the other side. 

“Want to guess the pin?” Natasha asked, stepping aside. 

You looked at the keypad and pressed the same numbers you had remembered at your cabin, but this time it didn’t work. “I’ve got nothing.” 

“Good thing I come prepared.” Nat took her phone out and connected it to the electronic keypad. “This should do the job.” 

After a few seconds, you hear a beep and a click. Nat stepped back and you opened the safe. “Wow.” 

Guns and ammo of all types were displayed. At the bottom, there was a large duffel bag. You crouched down and zipped it open. 

“It looks like an emergency getaway bag,” Nat said crouching next to you. 

You both went through it and found cash from different countries, multiple passports, IDs, and false identification papers. Everything you would need to start over in a different country of your choice. Whatever type of business you were involved with obviously was dangerous enough for you to plan an escape route. 

“This is… crazy,” you say as you look over your fake passports. 

“You would be surprised how common this is, especially with field agents.” 

You arched an eyebrow, “You have one of these?” 

She shrugged, “It’s a habit that’s hard to shake.” 

You put everything in its place and then collapsed face-first on your bed. “I don’t know what to do.” 

Nat sat next to you, “It’s a lot to take in.” 

You melted into her touch as she rubbed your back to comfort you. Something about her always helped you feel at ease, even when you felt utterly lost, Natasha helped ground you. Her hand trailed up your spine, giving you goosebumps until she reached your head. 

“You’re tired,” she said as she played with your hair. 

“I haven’t slept since we learned about the cabin,” you admitted. 

Natasha moved so that her back was against your headboard. When you looked up, she patted the spot next to her, telling you to come closer. 

You sat next to her and rested your head on her shoulder. As you started to drift off, you felt Milo hop on the bed and curl up between the two of you. 

While you fell asleep, Natasha stayed alert. She couldn’t afford to put her guard down in a building that was potentially filled with Hydra operatives. She felt her back pocket vibrate and fished it out slowly, as to not wake you up. 

Clint: Having fun? 

Natasha glanced at you before responding. Nat: Found something. 

Clint: What is it? 

Nat: Hydra.


	17. Chapter 17

Something was bugging you about your apartment. You felt as though there was something you were missing, yet you couldn’t put your finger on it. Since you woke up from your nap you have been looking around the place aimlessly. 

“Try retracing your steps,” Nat suggested as she watched you pace around your living room. 

“Retracing my steps? How would I do that without knowing what I normally do?” you asked. 

“You have adoptive muscle memory,” she reminded you. “Even though your mind doesn’t remember what to do, your body will.” 

She guided you to the front door. “Pretend you just came home; what’s your first instinct?” 

You took a deep breath and then stepped forward, allowing your body to do what felt right, like when you’re in the sparring ring. 

You only made it a few steps into your living room before feeling something brush against your legs. You paused and crouched to pet Milo as he meows loudly at you. As if knowing what he was saying, you walked over to a corner and filled his bowl with food. 

You smiled as you watched him eat, “I guess the first thing I do is feed him.” 

“What next?” Nat asked. 

You moved away from Milo and then walked into the kitchen. You opened your fridge to check its contents despite knowing it was empty. You then walked back into the living room and sat on the couch. 

What caught the redhead’s attention was that before leaning back, you made a motion as if tossing something onto the coffee table. “Why did you do that?” 

“Do what?” 

She mimicked the gesture. “That.” 

You looked at where you had done it and saw a pile of papers. You moved them aside and chuckled at what you found. “I guess I’m used to tossing my keys onto the table when I get home.” 

There wasn’t anything notable about your keys, yet when you held the eight-ball keychain, a memory came back to you. “I have a car.” 

Natasha smiled, amused. “Is that what was bothering you?” 

“Every memory counts, right?” You hopped up from your seat and quickly rushed out the front door. Happy at your new-found enthusiasm, Nat followed you closely as you led her down to the garage where the building’s residents kept their cars. 

“This place would even make Stark jealous,” she commented as you walked past rows of classic and rare vehicles. “Hydra must pay more than I think.” 

“Here she is,” you announced as you stopped in front of a red mustang. Although it looked like the only one getting used from all the others, it was still in pristine condition. 

“She?” Nat laughed. “Please tell me you’re not the type to name your car.” 

“I didn’t name her; I just think it’s a she.” You tapped the hood playfully. “Isn't that right, girl?” 

Nat fought back the urge to tease you and instead focused on the vehicle. She had an appreciation for sports cars and would regularly borrow from Stark’s collection. “What’s the year?” 

“It’s a 1966,” you said, unlocking the front driver seat. “You want to take it for a ride?” 

“Do you even remember how to drive?” 

“It’s like riding a bike, right?” 

She rolled her eyes as she hopped into the passenger seat. “Just take us back to the compound.” 

“What about your car and Milo?” 

“I’ll have someone come and collect everything, don’t worry about it?” 

You put the key into the ignition and smiled as you listened to the engine purr. Again, Nat rolled her eyes. You were like a little kid with a new toy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My neighbor has a 1966 Mustang, so it's the first car that came to mind when writing this


	18. Chapter 18

After Natasha informed Clint about the Hydra presence in your apartment building, he got approval to go in with a strike team and check the place out. They found many people with hydra affiliations, especially the staff, but a lot of the residents were innocent civilians. While he was there, Clint also picked up a lot of things from your apartment that Nat asked for. When he came back, he was confused by his friend’s requests. 

“Why did you make me get a cat for you?” Clint asked the redhead as he carefully handed her a pet carrier. 

“He belongs to (Y/N).” Nat looked through the air holes and saw Milo curled up asleep. “Did you get the other stuff too?” 

“Yeah, it’s being brought in.” Clint raised an eyebrow as he watched his friend fawn over the sleeping feline. “Is the rest of the team okay with you bringing in animals?” 

“They’ll just have to suck it up.” 

“Is the team also okay with you suddenly being very generous to our supposed prisoner?” 

“They helped us find a lead on Hydra; I think they deserve a thank you.” 

Clint squinted suspiciously at her. “Who are you, and what have you done to Natasha?” 

Nat rolled her eyes. “It’s not bothering anyone, why does it matter?” 

“I just don’t want you getting attached,” Clint said in a more serious tone. “(L/N) maybe look harmless, but they’re dangerous. Promise me you’ll remember that.” 

“Come on, Clint.” Natasha tried to brush off his words. “You know me better than that. When have you known me to get attached?” 

“Not often,” Clint admitted. “That’s why I think you should be careful with that one. I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

He walked away before she could argue with him. Nat tried to not think too hard about what he said, especially since she didn’t want to admit that he might be right. 

Nat then found you standing in a hallway. Your arms were crossed as you watched some people with boxes go in and out of your room. They wouldn’t tell you what they were doing, just that you had to stay out. 

When you saw Nat approach, you smiled in relief. “Do you know what’s happening?” 

“I had someone pick up some of your stuff,” she explained. 

“Some of it?” you questioned as you saw the agents bring in more boxes. “Are you sure they didn’t bring the whole apartment?” 

“Only the important stuff.” She handed you the pet carrier, and you took a look inside. 

Milo was now awake and distressed at being in a cage. You were glad to have him with you again. You couldn’t bear the thought of having to give him away. “You’re letting me keep him?” 

“We’ll call him your emotional support animal.” 

“We’re done,” an agent told Natasha. “Agent Barton told us to take the books to the library, but everything else should be in there.” 

“Thanks, that’ll be all.” 

After the agents took their leave you and Natasha stepped into your room, which was now full of cardboard boxes. “This is going to take forever to unpack.” 

“It’ll keep you busy,” Nat said as she headed out. 

“Wait, you’re not going to help me?!” 

“I have some paperwork to catch up on. I’ll check on you later.” 

As the door shut behind her you looked down at Milo. “I doubt you’re going to be any help.” 

You put the pet carrier down and opened the door for him. Milo cautiously stepped out and sniffed at his new surroundings. You let him take it all in while you started going through your things. The sooner you get started the sooner you get done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update. I'm going to be working on some long chapters for Pyromania so updates for this one might be slow.


	19. Chapter 19

“Clint told me they brought back some of your stuff. Has anything brought back any memories?” Bruce asked. He was sitting across from you at the dining table like in most of your sessions together. You weren’t required to wear restraints anymore, which you appreciated.

“Not really,” you answered. “I hoped it would, but so far nothing.”

“What about your cat? What’s he called?”

“Milo. I honestly have no memories of the little guy, but I’ve grown attached already.”

Bruce nodded and wrote down some notes in his clipboard. You didn’t know what he was writing, but you hoped it was good. “And how have you been sleeping lately?”

“...okay,” you told him.

Bruce noticed your hesitation and how you unconsciously touched the scar on your temple. “Is there anything bothering you in your sleep?”

“I had a dream that felt weird. It- It just-” You shook your head as you struggled to describe it.

“Take your time. Don’t force yourself.”

You sighed as you leaned closer to the table. “In the dream, I’m standing in the middle of a forest. It’s peaceful.”

“What happens next?”

“I hear a gunshot in the distance. I go towards the sound, and when I get close, I see a deer laying on the ground, bleeding.”

“What happens next?”

You shrug. “It never gets further than that.” 

“When did this start?”

“After we came back from the cabin. I think it’s from seeing those hunting trophies. I don’t know.”

Bruce wrote something in his notes before turning back to you. “I want you to tell me if this dream changes or gives you any more trouble. For now, I can prescribe you something to help you sleep, but if it gets worse, I might have to refer you to someone else.”

“Thanks.” You were a little disappointed you couldn’t get a solution to your weird dream but were grateful for the Doctor. Maybe you would be able to sleep with whatever he prescribed you. 

“Are you two done?” You looked behind Banner and saw Natasha walk in. You couldn’t help but smile.

“We just finished,” Bruce told her. “If you’re going to spar today, remember-”

“To be careful with their head,” Nat cut in. “I know what I’m doing, Bruce.”

Bruce glanced at you. “Debatable.”

“Come on (Y/N).”

You followed Nat to the training room and saw Barton and Barnes. Clint nodded in your direction, but Barnes barely even looked at you.

“I thought you two finished training?” Natasha asked as she hopped into the sparring ring.

“We did; I just thought it would be nice to watch you two spar,” Clint said. The two spies looked at each other and had a silent conversation before Nat simply shook her head.

“Just try not to talk.”

“No promises.”

Zoning out your audience, you focused on Natasha. Sparring with her keeps you on your toes. Even though you had the basics of her fighting style, she always managed to switch it up. You also keep her on edge. With your abilities, she can’t afford to do the same thing every time.

“You two are just doing circles around each other,” Bucky commented.

“You want to give it a try?” you challenge. 

“Oooh,” Clint teased. “You can’t refuse now, Barnes.”

Natasha climbed out of the ring and pushed Bucky forward. “Come on, Bucky.”

Rolling his eyes, the soldier climbed in and stood in front of you. He gave you little time to recover and then came at you strong with his metal arm. You dodged and went on the defense as you studied his movements. Like most of his teammates, Barnes’s style was a mixture of many others. You caught a hint of various martial arts, including Sambo.

Once you understood his style, your body went on autopilot. You blocked one of his blows and swiped at his leg. It caused him to stumble back, but he caught himself on the ropes. Bucky was on better terms with you than when you first got here, but that didn’t mean he liked the idea of losing to you in a fight. Without warning, he came at you harder, barely giving you time to adjust.

You were so busy keeping up with him that you lost track of his metal arm. That was a big mistake.

When his fist connected with your face, it was an instant knockout. The feeling of your back hitting the mat was the last thing you felt before everything went dark.

When you opened your eyes again, you knew something was wrong. You weren’t in the training room anymore, much less the compound.

You were sitting on the dirt ground, trees around you. You could hear the sound of birds chirping and the wind rustling the leaves. You couldn’t remember how you got here or what you were doing. 

You stood up and looked around. You were trying to find someone, but you couldn’t remember who. All that came to mind was red hair and green eyes.

While you tried to figure out what was happening, you were startled by a loud bang. You start to panic, but instead of running away, you go towards the source. As you get closer, you hear heavy breathing. 

Suddenly you're standing over a deer lying on the ground. There’s blood coming out of a wound in its side, but it’s not dead. It looks up at you in fear and confusion, but you don’t know what to do. You feel sympathy for it, but you don’t know how to take it out of its misery.

“When you shoot, you’re supposed to shoot to kill. It spares the animal from having to suffer.” You turn around and see a person standing next to you.

They have (H/C) hair and (E/C) eyes. They’re wearing a black jacket with a red symbol on the shoulder that felt familiar. They had a rifle in their hand, telling you they were the one who shot the deer. That made you angry.

“Why are you letting it suffer?” you asked.

The person kneeled next to the dying animal and softly stroked its head. “Why not? It doesn’t affect us.”

“It’s in pain.”

They tilted their head and smiled at you. “Why do you care? You’ve never cared before.”

You don’t know what they mean. “Please just make it stop.”

They look down at the deer and then back at you. “You can make it stop. You just have to remember.”

“Remember what?!” you ask, frustrated. “What am I supposed to remember?!”

Instead of elaborating on its cryptic message, they simply wink at you. “You better wake up (Y/N).”

They point their rifle at you and pull the trigger.

You gasp as you wake up. Your head is pounding as someone pushes you back into bed. Disoriented, it takes you a while to understand what’s going on.

“Calm down (Y/N),” Natasha whispers. “You’re in the med-bay; you’re okay.”

You look at her and sigh in relief. “How did I get here?”

“After Barnes knocked you out, we brought you here. The doctors say it’s just a concussion, but they want to hold you overnight due to your previous head injury.”

You laugh as you lean back into your pillow. “This is the second time Barnes has sent me here. Something tells me this won’t be the last.”

Natasha smiled. “I think Dr. Cho is tired of seeing you here so often.”

“How long was I out?”

“Less than an hour.” Natasha traced the outline of the tattoo on your arm. Her touch was soothing and helped you relax. “Did you dream anything?”

You think back on what happened after you became unconscious, but nothing came to mind. Whatever you had dreamt escaped you. “No.”

Dr. Cho walked up to your bedside, looking unimpressed. “We meet again (L/N).”

You smile, “I just miss you so much, doctor. I have to come up with excuses to come see you.”

She does not look amused as she turns to Nat. “What happened to avoiding head injuries?”

“I tried to warn them,” Nat lies, “they just won’t listen to me.”

The doctor doesn’t buy it but doesn’t press it. She simply grabs your chart and starts scolding you for not taking care of yourself.


	20. Chapter 20

“Are you sure these are all of them?” Stark asked. 

Natasha nodded as she passed him a journal. “Yeah, this is it.” 

Tony opened it and flipped through the pages slowly so that Friday could scan them. Nat had gone through the journals found in your apartment, but she couldn’t decipher anything even with your help. You gave her permission to give them to the genius in hopes that he could find a solution. 

“Spies and they’re secrets,” Tony muttered. “I’ll never understand.” 

“Is your program capable of translating all this?” Steve asked. He looked at a few of your journals, and all he could read was gibberish. 

“It’s not as complicated as you think,” Tony explained. “Whatever code (L/N) was using has a pattern. Just like in the good old days, my program identifies that pattern and decodes everything. It just does it ten times faster than a normal person.” 

As they waited for Tony’s program to finish, Steve turned to Natasha. “I heard (L/N) was sent to the med-bay again. What happened?” 

“Barnes,” she replied. 

Tony laughed. “Bucky must have it out for them.” 

“I’m sure Bucky didn’t mean it,” Steve defended. Natasha reassured him it was an accident. Barnes had even stopped by to apologize, although he took it back when you started teasing him. 

“I also heard you were with (L/N) until they got discharged,” Tony had a cocky smirk as he looked at the redhead. “Do you-” 

Knowing where he was going, Natasha stopped him in his tracks. “(L/N) is our best source of information at the moment. I’m just staying on their good side.” 

Nat wasn’t oblivious to the looks the two men gave each other. She rolled her eyes at them. “What is it? Spit it out.” 

“Nothing,” Steve told her. 

“Rogers…” she said with a threatening tone. 

Steve sighed, “I know you’re always careful, but I think you should have more caution when around (L/N). Especially if you’re going to try and get close. You’re human too; it can go both ways.” 

“I’m not getting that close to them,” Nat told him. She was getting tired of her teammates repeating the same thing over to her. 

That just made Stark laugh. “Are you kidding me? (L/N) follows you around the compound like a lost puppy and does whatever you tell them. You also spoil the hell out of them.” 

“Thank you for your helpful input Stark,” Natasha says sarcastically. “You’re a pleasure to talk to as always.” 

“Just stating what I see.” 

“I have finished the analysis,” Friday announces. 

Tony turns to his screens and frowns. “I figured out how (L/N) encoded their notes; the problem is even when they make sense, they don’t make sense.” 

“Elaborate,” Steve said. 

“You see this phrase here.” Tony points at a sentence highlighted on the screen. “After deciphering it, it says, ‘twenty-seven stationed in California.’ Do you see how that makes absolutely no sense?” 

“So, we still don’t know what it was they wrote down.” 

“Yup.” 

“I was hoping this would give us a lead,” Steve said, disappointed. 

“Well, unless we know what they mean by twenty-seven-” Tony stopped as he looked down at a box by his feet. “Is this where the journals were?” 

“Yeah, why?” Natasha asked. 

He reached inside and took out a small pocket-book they missed. It was barely staying together, and it was full of notes. Tony’s eyes widened as he skimmed through it. 

Steve looked at his friend, confused. “What is it?” 

“Hold on.” Tony flipped through the book again so that Friday could scan it. He then expanded the screen for the others to see. 

“What are we looking at?” 

“It’s over a hundred names, each numbered.” Tony pointed out number twenty-seven. “David Hill.” 

Tony typed in the name on his computer and got hundreds of results. 

“Add the state from the previous journal,” Natasha suggested. 

This time Tony typed in David Hill, California, and only got one result. “This is like an address book. We just have to combine the names with the location.” 

“Yeah, but who are these people exactly? Is this like a hit list?” 

“Or it could be the names of (L/N)’s associates,” Steve says. “This could be a list of hundreds of Hydra agents. Do you know what that means?” 

“We can get rid of a chunk of Hydra’s operation.” Tony laughed in disbelief and turned to Natasha. “Nat, do me a favor and kiss (Y/N) for me the next time you see them.” 

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves boys. We still don’t know what this list is exactly or why (Y/N) would even have it.” 

“You’re right,” Steve agreed. “Let’s work on verifying it before we start celebrating.” 

Tony cracked his fingers as he got back to work. “On it.” 

“If this is a list of Hydra agents, then this is the closest we’ve been to tearing the whole organization down since we took down Shield,” Natasha commented. 

Steve nodded. “Let’s hope for the best.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m just going to leave this here... ;)

After finding out about the list, some of the team used it as an excuse to have a small celebration amongst themselves. The others thought the celebration was a bit premature, but they joined in anyway. They invited you as well since you were technically the reason for their recent success. 

“Leave them alone, Clint,” Natasha warned as you sat next to her in the living area. 

“It’s just a shot,” Clint defended. He had been trying to convince you to have some alcohol, but you kept refusing. “It’s doctor-approved.” 

Bruce shrugs as the archer turns to him for support. “It’s okay. But only if they want to, Clint.” 

Natasha pushed the shot away from you. “You heard him.” 

“You’re no fun right now.” 

“Go cry about it, Barton,” Tony tells him. He then comes to sit next to you, forcing you to press closer to Nat. “Now (Y/N), you’ve been living here for a while. Why don’t you tell us about yourself?” 

You struggle to detect sarcasm in Stark’s tone. “That’s a joke, right.” 

“Did you forget what amnesia means, Tony?” Sam asked. 

“I’m not talking about your past,” Tony clarified. “I’m talking about now. Who am I talking to right now? Can you even consider yourself someone without any memories?”

“Are you drunk,” you ask. 

“Slightly.” 

You thought about it for a while. Do experiences make a person or just help shape them? And if you don’t have any, what does that make you? Are you someone completely new or just not burdened with a past? 

“Why do you always look like you’re on the verge of an existential crisis?” Bucky asked you. 

You smiled. “Maybe because that’s my constant state of mind.” 

“A shot can help loosen you up,” Clint offered again. 

Nat was going to tell him off again, but you spoke first. “Fine.” 

There was a cheer as you took the shot from the archer. As far as you knew, it was the first shot you’ve had, yet your reaction told a different story. 

“They barely flinched!” Clint stated. 

“They can hold their liquor better than you,” Nat teased. 

You accepted a beer to help chase it down and continued to drink for the rest of the night. 

The others didn’t do much else besides talk. You felt out of place most of the time and used it as an excuse to take a couple more shots. The alcohol in your system helped calm your nerves, but it was mostly a distraction. 

“Anyone home?” 

“Hm?” you looked up as Tony waved a hand in front of your face. 

“Did you hear anything I just said?” 

“Not a word,” you told him honestly. 

“I asked you how the bracelet feels?” 

“I can’t even tell it’s there.” To avoid having to cuff you every time you’re allowed out, Stark gave you an ankle bracelet that tracks your movements. It would give you more free rein around the compound but keep you out of where you’re not allowed. 

As you showed the device off dramatically, Natasha grabbed the bottle from your hand. “Okay, I’m cutting you off.” 

“Lame.” 

“You’re slurring your words, and I don’t think you can stand up.” 

Trying to prove her wrong, you stand up but end up stumbling back. You catch yourself but can’t ignore the fact that the room was spinning a little. 

“Let me take you to your room,” Nat tells you. 

“It’s fine. I don’t want to keep you away from the fun.” 

“I was going to call it a night anyway.” 

The team isn’t blind to how she holds your hand as she leads you away. Many of them share a look after seeing the Widow behave so caring towards you. 

“I’ll have Friday lock their doors, so no one interrupts you two!” Tony shouts. Natasha flicks him off as she leads you away. 

Once you get to the room, Milo barely glances at you as you fall onto your bed. Nat looks amused by your state. 

“You can’t sleep in these clothes,” she tells you. “Let me get you something more comfortable.” 

You let out a laugh as you turn around onto your back. “Why are you so nice to me?” 

“Why shouldn’t I be?” 

You can’t help the words that spill out your mouth. “Because I’m a bad person.” 

Nat pauses what she’s doing. “What?” 

“I’m a bad person,” you repeat. 

She grabs a set of clothes and places them on the bed before sitting next to you. “What makes you say that?” 

“Because I did bad things.” 

She caresses your cheek, and you lean into her touch. “I’ve only seen you do good things since I’ve met you. Using your logic that means you’re a good person.” 

“That logic sucks.” 

She laughs as she makes you sit up. “Go get dressed.” 

You go into the bathroom and do as she says. When you come back out, she decides to leave, but you stop her. 

“It’s getting late, you need to sleep this off,” she reminds you. 

“Stay,” you tell her, feeling bold. 

“(Y/N)-” 

You pull her in until you’re only inches apart. “Please.” 

She admitted she enjoyed being close, but you were intoxicated. She didn’t want to feel like she was taking advantage. “Who would have thought you were such a needy drunk.” 

“Is that a yes?” 

“It’s not the first time we shared a bed.” 

You put your arms around her waist. “I think it’s a little different this time.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“Because now I want to kiss you.” Nat’s eyes widened and you suddenly felt ridiculous. You let her go, thinking you may have crossed a line. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. Just forget about it, I-” 

Nat puts her arms around your neck and pulls you back in. Without a word, she presses your lips together. You quickly get back your confidence and kiss her back. 

When you separate, you feel a little breathless. “I guess the feelings are mutual.” 

She pushes you back, forcing you to sit down on the edge of your bed. She then straddles your lap while you rest your hands on her hips. “The feeling is very mutual.” 

She leans down for a kiss again but is interrupted by the door swinging open. Stark must have not kept his word.

“Hey, Nat. I was wondering if-” 

You both turn to the door and see Rogers gaping at the two of you. You suddenly feel sober and embarrassed, but Natasha barely reacts to the soldier. 

“What is it, Rogers?” she asks bitterly, not bothering to move from your lap. 

“Nothing! Sorry!” He quickly retreats, slamming the door shut behind him. 

Once he’s gone, you can’t help but laugh as you press your face into Natasha’s shoulder. Embarrassment quickly turned to amusement and she laughed with you. “Did you see how red his face got?” 

The moment was gone, but she wasn’t planning on leaving. 

She pecked your lips and guided you into bed. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.”


End file.
